"Actor: Barbara Ruick"

• Carousel | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £6.20   |  Saving you £9.79 (157.90%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The 1956 screen adaptation of Carousel, like its immediate predecessor Oklahoma!, boasted then state-of-the-art widescreen cinematography, stereophonic sound, a starring romantic duo with on-screen chemistry, and the Rodgers & Hammerstein imprimatur. Adding to its promise was a source (the venerable Ferenc Molnar play Liliom) that had already been filmed three times. Contributing to the lustre are the coastal Maine locations where 20th Century Fox filmed principal photography. Yet unlike the original Broadway production, and despite evident craft, Carousel proved a box-office disappointment. Why? Hindsight argues that movie-goers of the 1950s may have been unprepared for its tragic narrative, the sometimes unsympathetic protagonist, and a spiritual subtext addressing life after death. Whatever the obstacle, Carousel may well be a revelation to first-time viewers. The score is among the composers' most affecting, from the glorious instrumental "Carousel Waltz" to a succession of exquisite love songs ("If I Loved You"), a heart-rending secular hymn ("You'll Never Walk Alone"), and the expectant father's poignant reverie, "Soliloquy". Top-line stars Shirley Jones (as factory worker Julie Jordan) and Gordon MacRae (as Billy Bigelow, the carnival barker who woos and weds her) achieve greater dramatic urgency here than in the more successful Oklahoma!. MacRae in particular attains a personal best as the conflicted Billy, whose anxiety and wounded pride after losing his job are crucial to the plot. It's Billy's impatience to support his new family that drives him to an ill-fated decision, which transforms the fable into a ghost story. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com

• Carousel | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £9.15   |  Saving you £6.84 (74.75%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2006 Carousel tells the story of Billy Bigelow a smooth-talking carnival barker who falls in love with a mill-worker on the colourful coast of Maine. But right before the birth of his daughter Billy is killed while committing a robbery. Now in heaven years later he returns to earth for one day to attend his daughter's high school graduation and teach her one very important lesson... Featuring classics like 'If I Loved You' and the insp

• The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection | DVD | (25/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  A collection of classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Carousel (1956) Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones experience the miraculous powers of love in this inspiring Rodgers and Hammersmith masterpiece. Gordon MacRae is Billy Bigelow a smooth-talking carny baker who falls in love with a mill-worker on the colourful coast of Maine. Filmed on location with a beautiful seaside setting as a backdrop and a thrilling score for accompaniment their romance unfolds. But right before the birth of his daughter Billy is killed while committing a robbery. Now in heaven years later he returns to earth for one day to attend his daughter's high school graduation and teach her one very important lesson. State Fair (1945) The Frake family go on an outing to the State Fair where each expects to win a prize. Features the song 'It Might As Well Be Spring.' Oklahoma! (1955) A Rodgers and Hammerstein classic a charming and vigorous tale of romance and adventure set in the Wild West. Songs include 'People Will Say We're In Love' 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' and the title song 'Oklahoma'. South Pacific (1958) Blessed with a treasure of timeless songs South Pacific combines a passionate heartwarming romance with South Seas splendour and a world at war. Mitzi Gaynor Rossano Brazzi John Kerr and France Nuyen share the bill with immortal songs such as 'Some Enchanted Evening' 'Younger Than Springtime' 'There Is Nothin' Like A Dame' and 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair'. The King And I (1956) This visual and musical masterpiece features Yul Brynner's Academy Award winning performance an unforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein score and brilliant choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the true story of an English woman Anna Leonowens (Kerr) who comes to Siam as schoolteacher to the royal court in the 1860s. Though she soon finds herself at odds with the stubborn monarch (Brynner) over time Anna and the King stop trying to change each other and begin to understand one another. Winner of six Academy Awards 'The King And I' contains some of the most lavish sets in Hollywood and some of the world's best-loved songs including 'Getting To Know You' 'I Whistle A Happy Tune' 'Hello Young Lovers' and 'Shall We Dance?' The Sound Of Music (1965) Share the magical heartwarming true-life story that has become the most popular family film of all time - Rodgers and Hammerstein''s ''The Sound Of Music''. Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria the spirited young woman who leaves the convent to become governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp an autocratic widower whose strict household rules leave no room for music or merriment. Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture this timeless classic features some of the world''s best-loved songs!

• South Pacific / Oklahoma / Carousel | DVD | (19/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  South Pacific: Blessed with a treasure of timeless songs South Pacific combines the passionate heartwarming romance of a naive young Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) and an older French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi) with South Seas splendour and a world at war while the breathtaking score is highlighted by some of the most romantic songs ever written. Oklahoma!: Rodgers and Hammerstein's charming and vigorous tale of romance and adventure set in the Wild West. Songs include 'People Will Say We're In Love' 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' and the title song 'Oklahoma!' Carousel: Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones are reunited in this second classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. In this bittersweet love story Billy Bigelow (MacRae) a smooth-taking carny barker falls in love with a milworker (Jones) in a little town on the coast of Maine. Although Billy is killed during a robbery before the birth of his daughter years later he is allowed to return to earth for one day to redeem himself - and to teach his daughter one very important lesson. This the most poetic and lyrical of all the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals features the classics If I Loved You and You'll Never Walk Alone.

• Carousel | DVD | (20/03/2006) from £4.96   |  Saving you £8.03 (161.90%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2006 Carousel tells the story of Billy Bigelow a smooth-talking carnival baker who falls in love with a mill-worker on the colourful coast of Maine. But right before the birth of his daughter Billy is killed while committing a robbery. Now in heaven years later he returns to earth for one day to attend his daughter's high school graduation and teach her one very important lesson... Featuring classics like 'If I Loved You' and the inspi

• Rodgers And Hammerstein Collection - The Sound Of Music/The King And I/State Fair/Carousel/Oklahoma/South Pacific | DVD | (14/05/2007) from £28.94   |  Saving you £21.05 (72.74%)   |  RRP £49.99

  This fantastic Collector's Edition tin boxed set features six timeless classics from Rodgers and Hammerstein: Titles Comprise; 1. The Sound Of Music 2. The King And I 3. State Fair 4. Carousel 5. Oaklahoma 6. South Pacific For individual synopses please refer to the individual films.

• Rodgers And Hammerstein | DVD | (05/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Released as part of the celebrations marking composer Richard Rodgers' centenary in 2002, this Rodgers and Hammerstein collection contains the film versions of State Fair (1945), Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), The King and I (1956), South Pacific (1958), and The Sound of Music (1965). By the time these pictures were made, the Broadway originals had become the standards by which all else was judged in a golden age of musical theatre. And while film versions tend to dilute the books, there are still threads of darkness for those who require a more varied texture. But it's the fabulous songs which really count. Rodgers' partnership with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein was cemented by their 1945 cinematic joint effort State Fair, rushed into production by 20th Century Fox in response to MGM's all-conquering Meet Me in St Louis and with a similarly folksy theme. Directed by Walter Lang, it's a charmingly flimsy affair with some delightful numbers. Oklahoma!, directed by Fred Zinnemann, features Agnes de Mille's renowned choreography, irresistible songs and two outstanding performances from unlikely musical actors: film noir siren Gloria Grahame playing against type as Ado Annie, the girl who can't say "no", and Rod Steiger as the menacing but tragic Jud. Carousel, the morally dubious tale of fairground barker and wife-beater Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae) who gets a chance to redeem himself after death, is crammed with great melodies including the tear-jerking anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone". South Pacific, which contains perhaps the most spine-tingling songs penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein--"Some Enchanted Evening" is just one--a wartime love story which also manages to touch on racism and morality; anything but lightweight. Both The King and I and The Sound of Music, of course, have become cinematic legends in their own right, thanks in no small part to their leading ladies, Deborah Kerr and Julie Andrews. On the DVD: Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musicals glow as freshly as if they were made yesterday in four of these DVD transfers, with the other two a disappointment in comparison. South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I and The Sound of Music are offered in widescreen, giving the full benefit of the original Cinemascope presentations. Oklahoma!'s titles are presented in widescreen, but unforgivably the film then reverts to a disappointing 4:3 format which hardly does justice to the big sky settings of the Scope original. The sound quality is also disappointingly muffled for Oklahoma! and State Fair, both of which are crying out for a good polish. --Piers Ford